


ah, what happy days (it was like a dream)

by tunecuck



Category: Day6 (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Titanic Fusion, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Homophobic Language, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, jaehyungparkian gon get a happy ending
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-17 00:18:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16964199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tunecuck/pseuds/tunecuck
Summary: upperclass gentleman kang younghyun’s sure that he’s resigned to a miserable life filled with an endless parade of parties and cotillions, yachts and polo matches, always with the same narrow people, equipped same mindless chatter - he’s forced into an engagement to clear his father’s debt, after all. everything changes, however, when he meets park jaehyung. he’s an itinerant, poor orphan, who captivates younghyun with his lively demeanour and outlook on life; something younghyun believes will always be out of reach for him, based on his status and the role that he’s being forced to play.what he’s about to find out, however, is that everything had already changed once they had first stepped foot onto the titanic.(alternatively, the jaehyungparkian titanic!au WITH A HAPPY ENDING because we all need that.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well!!! i've wanted to write this for a while but refrained from doing so bc i felt rly discouraged by my writing not being good enough tbvh + how am i gonna do the titanic movie justice... but i was suddenly inspired while thinking up au s when i was playing tetris! so here goes nothing ig!
> 
> BTW i've not yet proof-read this (going to bangkok for a holiday for the next few days and i still have things to pack!! so uhh gotta blast xoxo)
> 
> ALSO this is largely based off the script (for now?? at least??)

the atmosphere is one of excitement; the shipyard buzzing with activity. on the pier, horse-drawn vehicles, motorcars and lorries move slowly through the dense throng of people crowding the area. in the crowd of hundreds, tearful farewells coupled with warm embraces are heard, alongside the cheerful cries of bon voyage to family and friends onboard the massive ship parked by the dock - the rms titanic. the gleaming white structure of the ship stands proudly, with buff-colored funnels standing against the sky like the pillars of a great temple. on the ship, crewmen move across the deck like ants in comparison to the scale of the rms titanic.

younghyun stares at the towering ship as he steps out of his white renault, anxiety slowly filling him up.

next to him, his fiance, soyeon, saunters up to him, and younghyun barely resists the urge to step away from her.

“i don't see what all the fuss is about. it doesn't look any bigger than the mauretania,” younghyun forces out, keeping his gaze trained on the titanic as he feels soyeon’s gaze settle onto him. younghyun wills himself to steady his nerves; to push away the unsettling dread within him.

next to him, soyeon scoffs, the sound loud and clear. “you can be blase about some things, younghyun, but not about titanic. it's over a hundred feet longer than mauretania, and far more luxurious”, she drawls, drawing out the word _luxurious_. it has squash courts, a parisian cafe... even turkish baths.”

 _and it’s sealing my fate with a bastard like her_ , younghyun sighs internally, ignoring soyeon as he lets himself be ushered in the direction of the first class gangway by ship crewmen. in the distance, he notices soyeon bribing a porter - she’s bearing a radiant smile as she hands him a fiver. the porter’s face lights up as he takes the money from soyeon. _typical_. younghyun feels mildly repulsed, and he tries his best to push those feelings away. behind him, his maid hustles along, laden with bags of younghyun’s fragile personal belongings.

the unease younghyun had attempted to lock away earlier once again unfurls not much later, when younghyun, his mother, soyeon and are about to enter gangway to the d deck doors. his mother and soyeon are going on about something, probably something swinging in soyeon’s favor, judging by the triumphant look adorning her pretty features. younghyun isn’t paying attention to their conversation, quietly strolling along while admiring the splendor of the luxurious ship. he’s abruptly pulled from his thoughts when a cold hand comes to rest on his shoulder.

“it was my darling fiance's beauty rituals which made us late. right, younghyun?” younghyun catches, as he turns around to face soyeon.

“you told me to change.”

“i couldn't let you wear black on sailing day, sweetpea. it's bad luck.”

“i felt like black,” younghyun huffs, indignantly crossing his arms over his chest. in response, soyeon laughs in his face. younghyun’s mother exchanges an unamused glance between them, looking thoroughly disappointed with her son. _that’s gonna earn me an earful from her later._

“here i've pulled every string i could to book us on the grandest ship in history, in her most luxurious suites... and you act as if you're going to your execution!”

the dread from earlier hits younghyun, and he feels like a sailor on a sinking ship struggling hopelessly against turbulent waters as the feeling crests in waves. he feels like he’s being pulled overshore, and boarding the titanic seems like him throwing away the lifevest that could keep him afloat if he managed to survive the storm inside of him.

_the ship of dreams... to everyone else. for me, it is simply a slave ship, taking me back to america in chains._

a hand encircles younghyun’s arm in a tight hold. soyeon’s, he notes, judging by the sharp fingernails digging into the soft skin of his flesh. to others, no doubt it would like a lover’s comforting hold, but in reality, it was a possessive grip lacking any trace of genuine care or concern. younghyun lets himself be escorted up the gangway. he remains silent, not adding a single word to the lively conversation ongoing between soyeon and his mother.

he wishes for a life away from luxury. instead, he yearns for a life of adventure and exploration, one where he can choose who he is to marry, one where he can make his own decisions for his own sake - not one spent lavished with the finest things where he sits around and plays the role of adoring, charismatic trophy husband. he doesn’t want to attend fancy dinner parties, pretending to actually care about about richest and jewels.

several blocks away from (him) the titantic, is a man who lives the lifestyle younghyun envies for. he’s sitting in a pub swamped with dockworkers and crew from the ship. at a table by the window, he’s engaged with three other men in an intense game of poker. they’re clad in clothes worn by the working class, something younghyun has never experienced in all of his seventeen years of living.

there, sits park jaehyung, an itinerant, poor orphan who has toured numerous places in the world, including paris, which from where he had adopted the bohemian style of art.

“the moment of truth, boys. somebody's life's about to change,” jaehyung says, flashing a curt smile to the men huddled around the table.

“let's see... woosung's got niente. mark, you've got squat. jackson, uh oh...  
two pair... mmm.” turning to woosung, or sammy, one of his best friends, jaehyung takes his hands into his, uttering an apologetic “sorry sammy.”

“sorry?” woosung cries, hands flying to his face. “what did you get? did you lose all my money? jae, what the f-”

“sorry, you're not gonna see your mama again for a long time…” jaehyung slaps a full house down on the table. “‘cause you're goin' to america!! full house boys!”

instantaneously, the cries from the table split into one half of shock and indignation, while the other is full of triumphant cries and happy shouts. “sorry boys. three of a kind and a pair. I'm high and you're dry and…” jaehyung looks towards woosung before continuing, “...we’re going to america!”

he swiftly ducks away as jackson readies his hand into a fist and moves to clobber jaehyung, laughing when he instead swings around to hit mark. mark flops backwards onto the floor, who accepts the blow pitifully with a crestfallen look upon his face. jaehyung and woosung leap out of their seats, bouncing on their heels as they pull each other in for a hug. for the both of them, it’s a given opportunity for them to travel, sailing across the globe from europe to america. it’s freedom; a brand new start.

jaehyung jumps onto woosung (who somehow is able to support him, despite being the smaller of the two), shouting “goin' home... to the land of the free and the home of the real hot-dogs! on the titanic! we're ridin' in high style now! we're practically goddamned royalty, sammy!”

below him, woosung chuckles heartily. “finally! my destiny! i’m going to america and i’m going to become a millionaire!”

their impromptu party for two is cut short when the voice of the pub keeper rings throughout the smokey pub. “no, mate. the titanic goes to america. in five minutes.”

jaehyung curses, sliding off woosung’s back. swiftly, he grabs their belongings before tugging on his hand, pulling them out of the pub.

“it’s been grand!” the pub’s door closes behind them as they rocket out of it.

adrenaline begins to pump through jaehyung’s veins, the excitement of a new beginning steering his feet towards the pier in record time. the burning ache in his legs isn’t a match to the fluttering sensation pooling in his gut; carrying him higher and higher every second as they near closer and closer towards the looming titanic docked on the horizon. his grip on his kit bag perched on his shoulder is tight. to him, it’s an anchor keeping him from disbelieving that the sudden luck that he’s been bestowed is real.

jaehyung and woosung dart through milling crowds, dodging piles of luggage and weaving through the throng of people littered about the pier. eventually, they reach the third class gangway at e deck and finally board the titanic, perhaps throwing in a lie or two that they both had already passed through inspections. they run through the freshly painted white corridors leading up to the poop deck, throwing themselves towards the railing. they yelling and waving towards the crowds on the docks below, joining in the merry cheers of farewells.

“goodbye! goodbye! i’ll miss you!” jaehyung shouts, to no one in particular, since he doesn’t have anyone.

hours later, when the adrenaline has long worn off and the excitement within him has simmered down into a gentle flame, jaehyung finds himself lying in bed in his small, modest cubicle, painted enamel white, with four bunks. he’s content, albeit nervous - in a good way; in a way that first class passenger kang younghyun would die for. hidden away in his empire-style "millionaire suite", he’s trying to dispel the familiar dread within him by distracting himself with the new paintings he had recently purchased. they are all unknown paintings - there is a monet of water lilies, a degas of dancers, and a few abstract works. younghyun had chosen them because he felt that in a way, they had resonated with him - underappreciated, lost.

he’s nursing a sip of his orange juice tinged champagne when soyeon struts into the room. younghyun’s inwardly groans as he notices the way soyeon’s nose is pointed upwards with her mouth downturned into a disdainful frown. her cold eyes narrow as they scan through the paintings laid around in the sitting room. “those mud puddles were certainly a waste of money.”

“you're wrong. they're fascinating,” younghyun replies, striding over to a cubist portrait. “like in a dream... there's truth without logic. what's his name again…? picasso.”

“he'll never amount to a thing, trust me. at least they were cheap,” grumbles soyeon next to him. younghyun doesn’t bother to keep the conversation alive, instead choosing to carefully pick up one of the paintings before heading into his bedroom to set up on the dresser.

in the bedroom, is one of younghyun’s maids is hanging up some of his clothes. she wears a dreamy smile, and the words she utters out upon younghyun’s entry into the room aren’t much for him, but for herself - “it smells so brand new. like they built it all just for us. i mean... just to think that tonight, when i crawl between the sheets, i’ll be the first-”

“and when i crawl between the sheets tonight, i'll still be the first.” at soyeon’s sexual inneundo, younghyun’s maid blushes wildly, and she quickly scurries out of the room. great, younghyun thinks, as soyeon latches her hands around younghyun’s waist. he’s far taller than her, in fact, he’s 180cm tall while soyeon’s 157cm, yet with the high-heels she wore and the predatory smirk on her face, younghyun knows that she’s more than capable of overpowering him anyday.

“the first and only. forever.” soyeon’s smirk widens. the grip around younghyun’s waist tightens. it’s an act of possession, not intimacy.

oh, how bleak a prospect this is for younghyun, now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading this first chapter! i hope that the way i change scenes isn't too awk/forced? honestly i'm clueless at writing smooth timeskips ,,, if you have any suggestive criticism on how i can improve pls lmk!! or any general thoughts on this! i luv reading comments and finding out what ppl thought about my writing so yea hmu thnx <3
> 
> twitter: tuneslut


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> srry for not putting this up sooner! i fell sick with high fever and what not so i couldn't write ,, anyway, this chapter is about twice the length of the first,,,, hopefully that makes up for it !
> 
> i didn't wanna split this chapter into two bc i feel like the buildup is a lot more better like so,, so yea

nightfall creeps in quickly, and younghyun is both grateful and spiteful for it - it leaves him alone in the peace and tranquil quiet of his quarters. he’s undisturbed for the night, tucked away in his room without the constant pressure of living out the facade of a _perfect life_ crushing his shoulders. however, he knows that such a thing is false, because when the sun rises up over the east the following morning, he’s slotted back into the role of trophy son, or rather, soon to be trophy husband; these thoughts circle his mind deep into the night, preventing him from sleeping a wink.

thoughts of soyeon, his mother, and his father’s debt claw at his mind, and follow after him well into the morning, relentless as mid-day approaches.

now, he sits in one of titanic’s many restaurants specially crafted for its first class passengers - the _palm court restaurant_. he’s assembled for lunch with soyeon, his mother and some acquaintances.

younghyun’s tired. the conversation around the table doesn’t really reach him. talks of the splendor and craftsmanship of the titanic vaguely fleeting flit through his mind, but he’s preoccupied with his silent praying that he’s managed to have done a good job of slathering as much as soyeon’s concealer over the dark bags under his eyes and looking like he’s actually listening to them speak. however, he perks up almost immediately when he sees a waiter round the table.

sure, you could call him greedy and chastise him that his attitude towards food is like one of a _distasteful ruffian_ , but such scolding would fall on deaf ears to younghyun. why? because he doesn’t care. the promise of food to younghyun? consider him wide awake, attentive and eager to wolf down plates of food.

soyeon sends a sidelong glance to younghyun, screaming _distasteful ruffian!_ (younghyun rolls his eyes), and it stirs up a desire within him to rile her up even more. he lights a cigarette. the response that he gets is nearly immediate - “you know i don’t like that, younghyun,” says his mother, followed by soyeon’s follow-up of snatching younghyun’s cigarette from him before stubbing it out.

“we’ll both have the lamb. rare, with a little mint sauce,” soyeon declares dismissively as the waiter finally approaches the table. younghyun clenches his fist tightly beneath the table, crescent-like indentations forming on the skin of his palm because _what the fuck?_ “you like lamb, don't you sweetpea?” double _what the fuck?_

the anger building up within him eventually snaps when the talk around the table drifts to a topic concerning the titanic and its flamboyant size and might, and thoughts of him choosing death rather than to have a life resigned to _this_ cross his mind _again_. younghyun stands, excusing himself before stalking away. he feels pairs of eyes trained on his back as he exits the restaurant, both from the table he had just excused from and other random diners in the restaurant. it must be deemed as odd for someone like him, or rather, of his status to not indulge in one of the titanic’s finest restaurants. younghyun however, finds himself indifferent to such a belief.

he walks down the white corridors up to the decks above, out onto the b deck’s open promenade. he takes to the railings, resting his weight against it as he folds his arms and trains his gaze onto the horizon. younghyun wonders if he has a reason to live - he’s basically about to end up chained to a thirty year-old woman - jeon soyeon, who is arrogant and snobbish (she never fails to make younghyun’s blood boil), and the heir to a pittsburgh steel fortune; an inheritance that would save younghyun and his mother from the crippling debt handed to them after his father’s death, a forced engagement between him and soyeon so that he and his mother can maintain their high-class status. younghyun’s resigned to a miserable, upper-class life that he would be ecstatic to throw away. sure, he might sound ungrateful, but who would want to live a lie like _this_ anyway? younghyun’s just a playing piece; a pawn of a game.

the weight of a pair of eyes burning into him causes younghyun to tear his eyes away from the clear blue skies above, instead settling onto a young man on the lower decks. he’s skinny, definitely not scrawny but unusually slender. his hair is a mess of brown, his fringe partly obscuring his eyes. the man appears to be around the same age of younghyun, maybe a year or two older than him. something within younghyun lurches at the sight of the man, and he forces himself to quickly look away. instead, he wills himself to replace the strange yearning he had for the man with… anything else. without a second thought, he moves to unpin his elaborate hat, drinking in its frilly and positively absurd appearance before tossing it over the rail. it sails far down to the water and is carried away, astern. a spot of yellow in the vast ocean. younghyun knows that the man below deck is still watching him.

below deck, jaehyung has his eyes cast on younghyun. he’s riveted. _he looks like a figure in a romantic novel, sad and isolated._

next to jaehyung, is woosung and matthew, another third-class passenger he and woosung had befriended earlier. woosung taps matthew and they both look at jaehyung gazing at younghyun, grinning at the love-struck expression framed on his face.

suddenly, younghyun turns back to look at jaehyung, who continues to stare at him in wonder. younghyun flushes, eyes tearing away from the man by the lower deck for a split-second, before they flit back towards him. the man shoots him a bright smile, and younghyun tentatively gives him a shy nod. _he’s cute._

the silent conversation between them is cut when jaehyung sees an older woman saunter up to younghyun, latching onto his arm feverishly. he watches the two on the upper deck bicker, as younghyun wrestles his arm away from the woman’s grasp before storming off. she follows after him, disapproval etched on her face.

“forget it, jae. what are the chances that you’d even be able to get close to someone like him?” matthew says beside him, punching his shoulder gently (not too gently, because he’s big and muscular so the force of the punch sends jaehyung sideways).

  
  
—

 

 

it is startlingly familiar when younghyun’s earlier thoughts when he was out on the promenade swarm his mind again. well, given that these worries have been eating him alive all of his life, only intensifying by the thousands when he was engaged to soyeon, younghyun believes that all of this should be natural. so, when he’s seated in the first class dining saloon during dinner, flanked by people in heated conversation, younghyun stares at his plate, barely listening to the inconsequential babble around him. the pain flaring up his skin is nothing compared to the cloud of thoughts inside of his head, as he drives the tiny fork of his crab salad deep into the skin of his arm, drawing blood. the thin material of his pressed white dress shirt is stained crimson.

his thoughts overflow, streaming out like water pouring out of a broken dam when he finally retires to his quarters for the night. one moment he’s staring at his reflection in the mirror, loathing himself and everything about him, and another moment finds him yanking his suit jacket to the floor. the material pools by his feet, which he promptly kicks away. with a primal, anguished cry, younghyun breaks down in tears, tearing at himself, his clothes, his hair, everything that he hates about himself, yet the physical pain he feels is incomparable to the devastation within him. younghyun launches himself towards his dresser, flinging everything off its polished surface. it sends everything on it flying; clattering against the wall. he hurls a hand mirror against the vanity, when he catches his broken form in the clear glass. it cracks. younghyun’s knees buckle, giving way as he sinks to the ground, his tears cascading soundlessly down his cheeks.

 _fuck it. fuck this, fuck everything_ , he cries, as he dashes out of his quarters, running out into the corridor and up the stairs leading to the deck b promenade. the cool night air whips his face as he streaks down the narrow stretch leading to the stern deck. he’s disheveled, his appearance atrocious and far from acceptable as his status as an upper class gentleman, and he really hates himself for remembering such a thing when he’s in his current state. he barely contains the urge to throw up his middle finger at a couple he passes who gape and whisper to themselves as he passes them.

younghyun breaks across the deserted fantail, his breath hitching in an occasional sob, which he suppresses to no avail. he slams against the base of the stern flagpole and clings there, panting, clutching onto it with a vice-like grip, as if it was his only anchor weighing him and his sanity down. his eyes focus onto the dark waters below the ship, and his eyes blur with more unshed tears as he makes a fleeting choice to end it all. he climbs over the railing, albeit clumsily, creating more wrinkles in his suit in the process. moving methodically, younghyun turns his body and gets his shoes on the white-painted gunwale, his back to the railing, facing out toward the blackness ahead. younghyun draws in a shallow breath before leaning out, his arms straightening as his decision flashes through his mind again.

_(later, when he’s old and graying with his husband in his arms, he recalls how he had sworn he’d seen his whole life as if he’d already lived it - an endless parade of parties and cotillions, yachts and polo matches, always the same narrow people, the same mindless chatter. he’d reflect on how he had felt like he was standing at a great precipice, with no one to pull him back, with no one who had cared or even noticed his inner turmoil)._

younghyun’s saving grace comes to him in a honey-like voice, calling out to him. “don’t do it.”

at the sound of the voice, younghyun cranes his neck around to look at the man who had called out to him. there, he lays eyes on the man whom he had made eye contact with earlier that day.

“stay back! don't come any closer!” younghyun cries, but he knows that it is no use as he sees the man slowly take a careful step towards him, extending a hand in his direction for him to take. younghyun sees him drink him in, registering the tear tracks on his cheeks in the faint glow from the stern running lights.

“take my hand. i’ll pull you back in.”

“no! stay where you are. i mean it. i'll let go.”

“no you won’t,” he replies, and younghyun’s eyes widen in confusion. “what do you mean ‘no i won't’? don't presume to tell me what i will and will not do. you don't know me!”

“you would have done it already. now come on, take my hand.” the man continues to move forward towards younghyun.

“you're distracting me. go away,” younghyun hisses out, groaning when the man claims that he’s now involved in his problems, and that he would jump in after him without a trace of hesitation. younghyun watches him shrug off his jacket, unlacing his shoes before stepping out of them.

“don't be absurd. you'll be killed.”

“i'm a good swimmer."

“the fall alone would kill you.”

“it would hurt. i'm not saying it wouldn't. to be honest i'm a lot more concerned about the water being so cold. it’s freezing.” younghyun looks down, his face paling as the reality of his actions starts to sink in.

“ever been to wisconsin?” the man abruptly says, as if he’s making small talk with him over breakfast, rather than coaxing him to grab his hand and clamber over the railing back onto the ship. “no,” younghyun says, perplexed.

“well they have some of the coldest winters around, and i grew up there, near chippewa falls. once when i was a kid my father and i were ice-fishing out on lake wissota... ice-fishing is where you chop a hole in the-” the man starts, and younghyun’s confusion turns into annoyance. “i know what ice fishing is!” he yells out, slightly irked that the man behind him seems to be questioning his intelligence.

“sorry,” the man doesn’t look sorry at all. “just... you look like kind of an indoor boy. anyway, i went through some thin ice and i'm tellin' ya, water that cold, like that right down there, it hits you like a thousand knives all over your body. you can't breathe, you can't think - at least not about anything but the pain! which is why i'm not looking forward to jumping in after you, but like i said, i don't see a choice. i guess i'm kinda hoping you'll come back over the rail and get me off the hook here.”

what he’s insinuating is painfully obvious to younghyun, and he rolls his eyes at him. “you’re crazy!”

the man smiles, barely visible if not for the slight quirk of his lips upwards. “that's what everybody says. but with all due respect, i'm not the one hanging off the back of a ship.” as he reasons with younghyun, he takes another step closer to him. “come on. you don’t want to do this. give me your hand.”

younghyun doesn’t respond. with a shuddering breath, he shuts his eyes, his earlier thoughts of desperation slowly ebbing away. what were the odds of them ending up here? what were the chances that this man waiting behind him was so set on persuading him not to take his life? _give me your hand_ , the words echo in younghyun’s mind, and his resolve crumbles. his eyes flutter open, and younghyun’s met with the prettiest man that he’s ever laid eyes on looking at him intently, with the most care and concern that he’s ever been treated with in all of his seventeen years of life. younghyun locks eyes with him, and as cliche as it sounds, younghyun swears that his gaze fills his universe.

“alright.” he unfastens one hand from the rail and reaches it around toward him. the man reaches out to take it, firmly.

“i’m park jaehyung. you can call me jae.” the man beams at him, and this time, it’s real and genuine.

“pleased to meet you, mr. park,” younghyun grins back at him as he starts to turn, when he is overcome by vertigo as he shifts his footing, turning to face the ship. younghyun climbs, his motion unsteady, which causes him to lose his footing, one foot slipping off the edge of the deck.

“help! help!” younghyun cries, his screams riddled with fear. unlike mere seconds before, the idea of death seems to scare younghyun.

“i got you! i won’t let you go!” jaehyung holds onto younghyun’s hand with all his strength, bracing himself on the railing with his other hand. younghyun tries to get some kind of foothold on the smooth hull, which fails horribly, because he can’t get get any footing in his suit and evening shoes, and he slips back. younghyun shrieks, flailing about, calming down only when jaehyung manages to pull him back over the railing. they fall together onto the deck in a tangled heap, spinning in such a way that jaehyung winds up slightly on top of younghyun.

“are you okay?” jaehyung asks, moving off of younghyun. younghyun notices the faint blush splayed out across his cheeks.

“yes, i am. thank you so much.” younghyun’s sure that the red on his jaehyung’s face must mirror his own, judging by the warmth that he feels on his face.

“i’m glad”, jaehyung says earnestly, rising up to his feet before offering younghyun a hand which he graciously accepts. as jaehyung tugs on his jacket and wears his shoes, younghyun fixing his torn coat and messy hair, the pair are met with some seamen, the master at arms, followed by soyeon and her bodyguard.

“what is the meaning of this?” soyeon demands, her hands thrown up wildly into the air before they come to rest on her hips. “you!” she seethes, eyeing jaehyung as if he’s a wad of gum wedged into the heel of one of her countless designer shoes. she surges forward, harshly jabbing a finger into his chest repeatedly. soyeon’s eyes harden, and younghyun can tell that she’s already marking out absurd conclusions in her brain, the gears in her head furiously whirling about as he takes in their dishevelled appearance. “what made you think you could put your hands on my fiance?! look at me, you filth! what did you think you were doing?!”

at soyeon’s outburst, the master of arms looms forward, ready to cuff jaehyung when younghyun interjects, “soyeon, stop! it was an accident!”

“an accident?!” soyeon scoffs, disbelief spelled out all across her face.

“it was... stupid really. i was leaning over and i slipped. i was leaning way over, to see the… ah... propellers. and i slipped and i would have gone overboard... and mr. park here saved me and he almost went over himself,” younghyun stutters out, hoping that he sounds convincing enough to soyeon; that the only reason why he’s flustered is because of the nature of the ‘situation’ that he had found himself in earlier. younghyun shares a look with jaehyung, silently pleading with him to play along with him.

“you wanted to see the propellers?” soyeon arches a carefully-plucked eyebrow at him skeptically.

“was that the way of it?” the master of arms asks, crossing his burly arms across his chest as he looks jaehyung dead in the eye.

 _please don’t tell them the truth_ , younghyun spares jaehyung a glance, his lips trembling ever so slightly.

“uh huh. that was pretty much it,” jaehyung answers, nodding as he eyes younghyun a moment longer.

“well! the boy's a hero then. good for you son, well done!” one of the seamen exclaim, going round to clap jaehyung on the back.

“so, all is well, so let’s head back?” soyeon chirps, clasping her hands together as she begins to sashay away. when younghyun doesn’t trail behind her, she pauses. “you’re freezing, right? come along younghyun!”

“ah... perhaps a little something for the boy?” the same seaman from earlier whispers to soyeon.

“oh, right. a twenty should do it.”

“is that the going rate for saving the man you love?”

“younghyun is displeased. mmm... what to do?” soyeon mocks, as she fishes twenty dollars from one of her dress pockets and holds it up to younghyun’s face, dangling it around with a smirk lighting up her face. soyeon steps forward to scrutinise jaehyung, whom she appraises condescendingly. _a steerage ruffian, unwashed and ill-mannered_ , younghyun guesses her judgements by the way soyeon’s eyeing him up and down. “i know. perhaps you could join us for dinner tomorrow, to regale our group with your heroic tale?” soyeon’s tone indicates that she isn’t asking him, instead taunting jaehyung into accepting her offer. soyeon’s daring jaehyung to reject her offer.

“sure, count me in.” jaehyung replies without skipping a beat.

“good. it’s settled then.” soyeon smiles, and it’s masked with an ulterior motive. soyeon puts a protective arm around younghyun as he saunters off, leaning in close to her bodyguard as they walk away. “this should be amusing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed this chapter!! as you can see, i'm practically borrowing so many lines from the actual script of titanic ;-; i'm like TT LOL i promise that the next few chapters will have more original writing + lines as jaebri properly get to know each other. 
> 
> alsooooo i'd appreciate it if y'all let me know your thoughts on this!! honestly i feel like no one rly cares about my writing but uhhhh yea that'd be nice xoxo
> 
> twitter: tuneslut


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank u all sm for the nice comments!! uwuwuwuuw i've not found the time to properly reply to all of them yet (i will later) but yea uwuwuwuwuwuuwuw thank u sm!! <3
> 
> this chapter is dAMN FRICKIN g heavy in dialogue????? i've tried to cut down on a LOT in case it seems too lengthy but idk ,,,,,,,,,, idk if i should omit too much but also keep what?? so yeaaaa hdhdjdkjffk
> 
> EDIT: i extended the bit where jaebri r spitting ,,,, hehehheehe

“hello jae,” younghyun smiles as he goes over to jaehyung, feeling a tad self-conscious as he feels the burning gaze of everyone in the third class general room befall upon him. the room had been lively, a stark comparison to the opulence of first class. it was a loud and boisterous place - kids were running between the benches yelling in several languages (and being scolded in several more by their mothers). men were playing chess, women engaging in needlepoint and reading dime novels, and a jovial tune had been concocted by the skilled hands of a man by the upright piano by the corner of the room. however, a hush had fell as soon as younghyun had been made noticeable.

next to him, woosung and matthew are floored taking in younghyun’s appearance. they send jaehyung curious glances, surprised as to how a first class passenger knows jaehyung (way out of his league), and how he would even want to concern himself with jaehyung.

“hello again,” jaehyung greets cheerfully as he rises to meet younghyun.

“can i speak to you in private?”

“uh, yes. of course. after you.” the pair leave the room with jaehyung looking over his shoulder with an eyebrow raised at the stunned silence enveloping the room.

no words are said between them as they shuffle through corridors leading up to the boat deck demarcated for the first class passengers. they stride side by side, aware of the people they pass glancing at them - a mismatched couple. the atmosphere between them is awkward, jaehyung feeling out of place in his rough clothes, younghyun being tongue-tied as he struggles to find a suave way to strike up a conversation with the brunet.

jaehyung beats younghyun just as he’s about to open his mouth to speak. “so, you got a name by the way?”

“younghyun. kang younghyun.”

“ooh. korean... but you have a canadian accent?”

“i was born in america, and i studied abroad in canada for four years.”

there’s an awkward pause. younghyun stops in his tracks, bashfully locking eyes with jaehyung as he mutters out a quiet _mr. park._

“-jae,” jaehyung interrupts, coming to a stop in front of younghyun.

“jae… i feel like such an idiot. it took me all morning to get up the nerve to face you…” younghyun admits, his face reddening as he averts his gaze from the man in front of him.

“well, here you are.” his tone is reassuring and gentle, which gives younghyun the courage to properly look him in the eyes.

“here i am. i... i want to thank you for what you did. not just for... for pulling me back. but for your discretion.” the amicable _thank you_ younghyun recieves in response from jaehyung makes his heart rate pick up. slightly. _it is barely a noticeable change_ , he tells himself. “look, i know what you must be thinking! poor little rich boy; what does he know about misery?” younghyun rushes out, overwhelmed with the unknown feeling of wanting to justify himself to his kind-hearted, gorgeous rescuer.

“that's not what i was thinking,” jaehyung replies, understanding flooding his features. “what i was thinking was... what could have happened to hurt this boy so much that he thought he had no way out?”

“it wasn't just one thing. it was everything. it was _them_ , it was their whole world. and i was trapped in it, like an insect in amber.” younghyun hesitates for a second, before muttering out in a jumble of words, “i just had to get away -just run and run and run and then i was at the back rail and there was no more ship... even the titanic wasn't big enough. not enough to get away from them. and before i'd really thought about it, i was over the rail. i was so furious. i'll show them. they'll be sorry!” as younghyun recounts the events surrounding the previous night, he feels shame and embarrassment poke at him.

“uh huh. they'll be sorry. 'cause you'll be dead.”

younghyun’s hands fly to his forearms as he hugs himself while bowing his head. “i am such an utter fool-”

“hey. no you aren’t. i understand, younghyun. you’re feeling pressured, trapped and helpless. don’t be too hard on yourself, okay?” younghyun feels warm hands gently wrap around his own, lowering them to his side before guiding them to sit by some steamer chairs laid out on the open deck.  if younghyun had been red before, he’s not sure what he is now with jaehyung inches away from him (yet still at a respectable distance), smiling down at him kindly. he manages to stutter out a sheepish word of thanks, hoping that jaehyung is able to feel his sincere appreciation conveyed in it, even with the sudden lack of eloquence from his words. in response, he hums quietly (younghyun doesn’t miss the way how jaehyung’s cheeks now carry a slight reddish hue to them).

“that penguin last night, is she one of them?” jaehyung asks, and younghyun pretends that his heart doesn’t drop a fraction as the intimate moment shared between them cuts to a close. regardless, at the association of soyeon as a penguin, younghyun lets out a snort.

“penguin? oh, soyeon! she is _them_ .” younghyun chuckles, adding on when jaehyung silently asks him to elaborate, “she’s my fiancee. elitist, manipulative, thoroughly irritating - my thirty years _young_ (younghyun barely stifles a giggle. he’s proud of his joke when he sees the grin spread wide across jaehyung’s face) bride-to-be! i wish that i don’t have to marry her, but the decision isn’t mine to make.” when he finishes, he shows jaehyung the sizable diamond ring on his finger.

“look at that thing! you would have gone straight to the bottom!” the playful jest sends the two of them into loud barks of laughter. younghyun hasn’t laughed like this in years. the last time younghyun had laughed this hard was back when his best friend terry back in canada had choked on his water at the sudden mention of a terrible joke. it was hilarious to him and his other friend, don, and the story had been retold between them countless of times.

a passing steward scowls at jaehyung, and younghyun instantaneously turns to glare at him. this sends the steward scooting off in the other direction, terrified by the way younghyun was eyeing him. younghyun isn’t sure whether or not jaehyung notices this, but if he does, he doesn’t say anything about it.

“what’s this?” younghyun mentions out of the blue, pointing to jaehyung’s sketchbook. “may i?” his question is rhetorical because he had already grabbed the book from jaehyung’s hands. leaning back on the deck chair, younghyun flips over jaehyung’s sketchbook. his mouth hangs agape as he admires jaehyung’s sketches - each one an expressive little bit of humanity: an old woman's hands, a sleeping man, a father and daughter at the rail. the faces are luminous and alive, and younghyun’s enthralled by the beauty of his artwork. as his eyes continue to sift through the pages, he’s met with a series of nudes. he’s transfixed by the languid beauty laid in front of him - the nude drawings are soulful, real, with expressive hands and eyes. to younghyun, they feel more like portraits than studies of the human form, almost uncomfortably intimate. younghyun blushes, raising the book as some strollers go by.

“you have a gift, jae. you do. you see people.”

“i see you. there it is. that piercing gaze again.”

“and..?” younghyun tilts his head up to face jaehyung.

“you wouldn’t have jumped.”

  
  
—  


the two of them spend the whole day together, learning new things about each other as they strike up a surprisingly close and comfortable friendship. jaehyung finds out that younghyun went by the name ‘brian’ while he was living abroad in canada, and his longing to pursue a vast array of careers if he had the chance - an artist, a dancer, a moving picture actor - and many more, now tucked away in jaehyung’s memory. he comes to know of his dislike for caviar, and his love for everything else, especially ramen, his dearest friends, and how he adores sleeping. once, younghyun had slept for thirty hours straight! likewise, younghyun finds out that jaehyung’s an orphan. he comes to know of all the countries he’s visited, and how he was born in argentina, briefly uprooting to korea and then california in the states before resettling in wisconsin with his parents before they had passed on. years later, after his sister’s death, he would cross the world on his own, spending time in different parts of america, finally taking off to paris (where he would develop his current style of drawing) then britain.

“why can't i be like you jae? just head out for the horizon whenever i feel like it,” younghyun sighs, resting against the railing as he peers up at the dusk sky. “say, we'll go there sometime; to that pier - even if we only ever just talk about it.”

“alright, we're going. we'll drink cheap beer and go on the rollercoaster until we throw up and we'll ride horses on the beach, right in the surf! but you have to ride like a cowboy, none of that side-saddle stuff.”

“you mean one leg on each side? scandalous! can you show me? and teach me to spit too. like a man. why should only men be able to spit?  it's unfair!” younghyun pouts, screwing up his mouth and spitting - a pathetic little bit of foamy spittle which mostly runs down his chin before falling off into the water. jaehyung laughs heartily watching younghyun, forcing out between chuckles, “they didn't teach you that in finishing school? here, it's easy. watch closely.” jaehyung demonstrates to younghyun how to properly spit, leaning over the railing before sucking in a breath. he hawks down on his saliva, rolling it on his tongue before spitting. younghyun watches in awe like a little boy as it arches over the water. he braces himself over the rail, following jaehyung’s instructions… and failing miserably. and again. and again.

“it’s so hard! how-” younghyun whines as he wipes the little bit of spit dripping down his chin with the pad of his left thumb.

“listen to me again, alright? you can do it!”

“okay, okay - let me just -” somehow, suddenly, (younghyun thanks the stars under his breath) he’s able to spit like how jaehyung had instructed him. “oh my… i did it!”

“you did it!” they cheer, jumping up and down like little kids. younghyun wipes away the dribble of spit running down his chin, smearing it against jaehyung’s cheek in retaliation when he teases younghyun on how he took a million years to finally do it right.

the playful shriek younghyun gets from the brunet in response makes his pulse race, feeling slightly giddy at how happy jaehyung makes him. he feels drunk, tipsy even; feeling the best that he’s been in years when younghyun suddenly blanches, turning around to see his mother, alongside her friends regarding them curiously. all except his mother, of course, who was assessing jaehyung’s worth warily. younghyun composes himself at the sight of the group of women, formally introducing them to jaehyung. fortunately for younghyun, the bugler calling for dinner pierces through the air, and younghyun is dragged after his mother to get dressed for it. one of the women thread after them.

“son, do you have the slightest comprehension of what you're doing?” one of the women, introduced as nayeon, quips jaehyung who lingers by the railing.

“not really,” he answers truthfully, because he knows that soyeon and her gang of other upperclass friends are likely to have something in store for him later at dinner.

“well, you're about to go into the snakepit. i hope you're ready. what are you planning to wear? come along with me. i’ve got something for you!” the last two sentences were tacked on like an afterthought after seeing jaehyung inspect his clothes with a frown. with that, nayeon ushers jaehyung down to her quarters, afterwhich, they head off for dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> andddd that's it for this chapter!! i know, the ending is q rushed?? but i think the chapter is kinda done alr, with all the heavy dialogue and what not. things should start getting more interesting, since afte r the dinner -> they party @ the third class party -> nuDe drAwinG!!!! and
> 
>  
> 
> ~~hot~~
> 
>  
> 
> sOft jhp sex ,,, and then the ship sinking ,,,, stay tuned chingus xoxo 
> 
> lmk what y'all think??? hehehehehhehehehe
> 
> twitter: tuneslut


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> srry for the slow update!! i'm high on dumb bitch juice and i suddenly dk how to write somewhat properly!
> 
> ps: i added smth more to the previous chapter @ the spitting part!! do check it out hehe

jaehyung’s breath is stolen from him as soon as he passes through the first class entrance to the grand staircase and a deck. the interior of the hall is marvellously splendid, intricately detailed and what anyone would deem to be the pinnacle of luxury - its design fronts the epitome of opulent naval architecture. the ceiling is rounded by enormous glass dome, with a crystal chandelier at its center. _it’s probably more expensive than what i’ve made in my entire lifetime,_ jaehyung muses as he surveys the atmosphere of the room. scattered by the foot of the stairs are first class passengers all decked out in their finest evening wear. some of them are indulging in (what jaehyung guesses to be) champagne while talking quietly amongst themselves. he descends the stairs, returning the perfunctory greetings he receives from passing gentlemen. soyeon and younghyun’s mother shuffle past him, not at all recognising him, as they head off to the d deck reception room. following behind them is younghyun, and if jaehyung had thought he had been impressed earlier, then how he feels right now as his eyes fall onto younghyun is incomparable.

“hello, jae!” younghyun says as he approaches him, his face visibly lighting up at the sight of him. jaehyung returns the greeting, tacking on a flustered “you look nice. very nice.” because it’s true - younghyun looks like a vision with part of his fringe sweeping down into his eyes; pinning emphasis onto his sharp, volphine-like features and the fitted suit he’s wearing makes jaehyung’s cheeks warm.

at the compliment, younghyun throws his head back in a polite laugh. “you too.” _i can’t seem to take my eyes off of you._ for a second, younghyun’s dazed, before he remembers that he has responsibilities expected of him as an upper class gentleman; so, he brings jaehyung along to be introduced to soyeon and his mother.

“soyeon,” younghyun calls, the undercurrent of excitement laced in his tone evident, “surely you remember mr. park.”

“park! i didn’t recognise you!” soyeon exclaims, hands covering her mouth in surprise. “amazing! you could almost pass for a gentleman!” soyeon’s tone carries a mixture of genuine astonishment and a hint of… something both jaehyung and younghyun can’t decipher, but it definitely isn’t a good thing.

  
  
—

  


_it’s arrogance,_ younghyun decides not much later. it’s evident in the way soyeon had been feeding off the praise of her female counterparts earlier when they were commending her for _how splendid younghyun is_ ; _a remarkable catch_ and especially now as she tries to close in on jaehyung and put him on the spot.

“tell us of the accommodations in steerage, mr. park. i hear they're quite good on this ship,” younghyun’s mother smiles, and it’s neither welcoming nor kind. _mother must be on it too_. her tone sends a chill down younghyun’s spine, and he’s guessing that jaehyung must be feeling the same, too.

jaehyung, however, doesn’t waver. “the best i've seen, m'am. hardly any rats,” jaehyung responds cooly, taking the napkin off his plate like everyone else.

“mr. park,” soyeon starts, waiting for the attention to settle onto her before continuing, “is joining us from third class. he was of some assistance to my fiance last night.” she stops momentarily, turning to look at jaehyung with a wide smile. “this is foie gras. it’s goose liver. you likely don’t know what’s laid out on your plate, after all.”

younghyun can’t help but roll his eyes watching the exchange in front of him. _of course. you just have to invite everyone to frown upon him._ younghyun swears he can hear their minimum respect held for jaehyung crumble away at that very moment. the furtive glances and whispers thrown around the table signify that all but him believes jaehyung isn’t worth their time. jaehyung’s a blemish in their society. younghyun can tell that jaehyung’s aware of this by the way his shoulders stiffen by a fraction. honestly, if he was jaehyung, younghyun would probably be close to having a mental breakdown if he were the one poked and prodded with discrimination like so.

“what is soyeon hoping to prove, bringing this... bohemian... up here?” such words aren’t spoken lowly around the table. younghyun’s hands grow clammy. _why am i nervous? i’m not him._

“how do you take your caviar, sir?” a waiter asks jaehyung when he approaches the table. younghyun isn’t surprised when soyeon quickly interjects, answering for jaehyung who all but disregards her and requests for no caviar. _of course, soyeon has something to prove; something to gain._ the quiet murmurs around the table cease as they watch jaehyung closely.

“and where exactly do you live, mr. park?” younghyun’s mother shoots out as soon as jaehyung’s done speaking to the waiter. she’s watching him like a predator honing in on its prey along with soyeon - they’re eager to watch him stumble and fall. his mother is wary of jaehyung for some reason younghyun can’t figure out why.

“well, right now my address is the rms titanic. after that, i'm on god's good humor.” jaehyung fumbles to find the right fork to use to eat his salad, finally finding his salad fork thanks to younghyun’s prompting gaze.

“you find rootless existence appealing, do you?”

the condescending words fire like bullets, but jaehyung brushes past them. “well... it's a big world, and i want to see it all before i go. you can't wait around, because you never know what hand you're going to get dealt next. i’ve been on the road my whole life, even before my family passed on some years ago, so travelling around the world is natural for me. anyway, i think that it’s best if you take life as it comes at you. to make each day count.”

a woman, whom jaehyung recognises as nayeon, raises her glass in approval. “well said, jaehyung.” collectively, glasses are raised around the table in honour of jaehyung. “to making it count!-”

“-but how is it that you have the means to travel, jaehyung?” an annoyed voice cuts in, belonging to no one other than younghyun’s mother. just like her sharp voice, the slightly uplifting atmosphere had been sliced into two.

“i work my way from place to place. tramp steamers and such. i won my ticket on titanic here in a lucky hand at poker,” jaehyung replies, his tone light and one of slight amusement. he’s no longer nervous, now on his feet at the understanding that his already-low reputation will continuously be undermined.

the table falls silent, before nayeon’s voice pipes up. “so jaehyung, soyeon said that you helped out her fiance last night. what happened?”

“apparently, younghyun wanted to see the propellers but he almost fell over. luckily for him, jaehyung was there to pull him overboard,” soyeon inputs. “men and machinery…” she scoffs, quietly enough for only younghyun to hear.

“really? is that true, jaehyung?”

“yeah, it is. i’m glad that i could have saved younghyun. you’re feeling _better now_ , right younghyun?” jaehyung affirms while he meets younghyun’s eyes.

younghyun can’t help but feel reassured that tonight’s dinner won’t be a source of hard-hitting anxiety to jab at him later in the night when he catches the small, reassuring smile jaehyung sends him. somehow, jaehyung had noticed the anxiety eating away at younghyun when dinner had commenced, and he’s thoroughly grateful for that.

the remainder of dinner goes fairly well with jaehyung expertly deflecting the blows dealt from soyeon and his mother. eventually, they grow frustrated and quit their questioning. for now, at least, younghyun knows. however, after desert has been served and all the other men have begun to retreat to the smoking room, soyeon strikes again.

“jaehyung! are you joining the rest of the men for a smoke? it’s your first, and well… only experience at the first class dining saloon, i’m sure you’d want to savour it. you can ask younghyun to repay you!” she’s bored, wanting jaehyung out of her hair as soon as possible.

jaehyung rises from his seat and gives her a curt nod. “no thanks. i’m heading back.”

“probably best. it'll be all business and politics, that sort of thing. wouldn't interest you. good of you to come.” soyeon replies, actually meaning _i’ve already invited you for dinner and now it’s time for you to go._

“i’ll show him out,” younghyun says as he stands up, already ahead of jaehyung as he shuffles out of the room. the two of them leave the dining saloon not noticing the scowl framed on the face of younghyun’s mother as she watches them walk out.

“that was interesting,” jaehyung chuckles once they’re alone. “soyeon and your mother seem to have taken an extreme dislike to me.”

“i’m sorry. i had no idea that they would be so… so…” younghyun groans as he finds himself tongue-tied. “you know what i mean. i mean, i knew that would have been difficult, but not to this extent. are you okay? i’m really sorry for putting you through this mess.”

“you know, younghyun, you’ve got to stop apologising so much. it’s not your fault.”

younghyun lets out a nervous laugh. “okay. but still..”

“want to go to a real party?” jaehyung asks, and it’s so abrupt and so _jaehyung._ (younghyun’s sure, even if he’s only known him for about a day) “it’d help you get your mind off of things. and you can savour the experience of actually having fun at dinner!”

by the way the younghyun’s nose scrunches up adorably when his eyes disappear to form crescents, jaehyung knows that younghyun means _yes_ and he wouldn’t change his mind even if his mother and fiance were against it. thus, the events at dinner are temporarily forgotten as jaehyung leads younghyun to the third class general room where they’re greeted with a scene in stark contrast to the first class dining saloon.

“this is amazing!” younghyun gasps as his eyes sweep over the room. the room is bursting with energy - a live band gathered near the a small stage is honking out lively, stomping music on the fiddle, accordion and tambourine. people of all ages are dancing, drinking beer and wine, smoking, laughing, and even brawling.

“you’ve yet to see everything, younghyunnie. care to dance? w-wait, if you want to, of course! i-” the nickname rolls off jaehyung’s tongue so unexpectedly, such that the expression of surprise on his face mirrors the red-faced boy in front of him. before jaehyung can apologise, however, younghyun’s got his hand slotted in his as they move to the centre of the room in quick movements that seem to rival the way the air between them suddenly shifts.

“i’d like to dance. but i don’t know the steps,” younghyun admits sheepishly as jaehyung’s other hand slides to the small of his back. the latter gives him a small smile as they awkwardly start to dance. “just move with me. don’t think.”

“actually, please do think. ah, sorry. i’m not sure if you’re comfortable with this or not-”

“-what do you mean?” younghyun questions, completely puzzled. for him, this is the first time that he’s seen jaehyung unsure of himself.

“we’re guys. you don’t usually see two men dancing together, do you?” jaehyung chokes out, avoiding younghyun’s gaze as they groove along to the music. it’s painfully obvious what he’s insinuating - _what we’re doing right now is taboo, isn’t it? are you okay with that?_

“no… but i don’t mind. do you?” it’s a question with an underlying meaning. simply, younghyun’s asking jaehyung if he’s afraid, because what they’re doing now seems to be skirting around a platonic friendship and something more - the nickname, their dancing; it spells out a dangerous dance.

“n-no… but-”

“you can call me younghyunnie.” younghyun’s grip on jaehyung tightens as the music speeds up, a rhythm to match their pounding hearts, and their steps quicken. feeling confident, younghyun effortlessly twirls jaehyung around, giggling at him when he sees the affectionate smile adorn his face. they let themselves get high and drunk in the moment with the awkwardness between them slowly ebbing away.

they are oblivious to a pair of familiar eyes peering at them through a gap in the door to the well deck.

  
  
—   
  


“isn’t it magnificent? so grand and endless,” younghyun sighs breathlessly, the words coming out as a whisper as a result of the fatigue aching in his bones. finally, they’ve reached the first class entrance and although they are both tired, neither of them wants the night to end. younghyun rests his weight against the railing with jaehyung following suit. “thank you for inviting me down to third class. i had so much fun.”

younghyun doesn’t have to look at jaehyung to know that he’s grinning from ear to ear. “you’re welcome. i’m glad that you enjoyed it.” they don’t speak as they admire the stars which blaze overhead, bright and clear as they twinkle. they both want to prolong the time spent together; the time spent before younghyun has to bid jaehyung goodnight.

minutes pass before younghyun breaks the comfortable silence built between them. “they're such small people, jae. my crowd of people think they're giants on the earth, but they're not even dust in god's eye. they live inside this little tiny champagne bubble... and someday the bubble's going to burst-” he’s babbling, mouth moving a mile a minute when younghyun stops and short-circuits because he feels jaehyung’s hand brush against his. it’s the slightest contact imaginable, yet all younghyun can feel is the square inch of skin where their hands are touching.

there’s a pause before jaehyung murmurs, “you're not one of them. there's been a mistake.”

“a mistake?” younghyun parrots, his stomach churning as a strange feeling settles within him. it isn’t foreign - he’s been experienced it whenever he’s around jaehyung.

“uh huh. you got mailed to the wrong address,” jaehyung elaborates, his voice hollow and melancholic.

“i did, didn’t i?” it’s true, because younghyun would give up anything for a different life than the one he’s living out now. _perhaps my life if i had the guts to._ just as the thought enters his mind, younghyun pushes it away because how could he contemplate _that_ with all that’s happened in the past twenty-four hours? after all, the man next to him is a testament on how his life isn’t all the bad… even if they’re destined to part ways once the titanic docks at america.

“look! a shooting star!” jaehyung brightens, snapping younghyun out of his thoughts. “that was a long one. my father used to say that whenever you saw one, it was a soul going to heaven.”

“i like that... aren't we supposed to wish on it?” younghyun says, distracted and instantaneously shy when he realises his close proximity to jaehyung. they’d unconsciously drifted closer while younghyun had been ranting. they’re so close, younghyun is sure that he could just lean forward and kiss him-

“what would you wish for?”

“what i would wish for?” immediately, a single thought races through his mind. _i want to be with you_ , he decides at that very moment without a silver of hesitation. because it’s true - in that moment, younghyun has grasped that no one has been able to make him as happy as jaehyung has. sure, he knows that it sounds irrational, yet in spite of the fact that he’s only known the man beside him for only a day, he feels like he could trust him with his life. keyword, _could_.

“something i can't have,” his voice comes out raspy, but its firm and younghyun is thankful for that. the way it’s said sounds more like a reaffirmation to himself, rather than an answer to jaehyung’s question. in his mind, the image of jaehyung apologising for asking him to dance flashes through. _what we’re doing right now is taboo, isn’t it?_ what was younghyun even thinking about? besides younghyun being a first class passenger, he’s not supposed to like men! from his peripheral vision, younghyun thinks he sees jaehyung visibly swallow before biting his lip, a wistful expression of yearning drawn upon his face. after a beat, jaehyung pulls away, his eyes trained on the stars above. younghyun wills himself not to feel too disappointed. _wait, disappointed?_

everything’s a blur for younghyun as he forces out, “goodnight, jae. and thank you.” before he leaves the rail and hurries through the first class entrance, the realisation of his feelings for jaehyung heavy in his heart. jaehyung stares after him as younghyun runs away, and he thinks it’s pitiful that the distance created between him and younghyun isn’t just physical.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS BAD,,, like fr around the same tier as my first few fanfics which i dare not read bc damn frickin ??? omggggg
> 
> i decided to write this in young k's pov bc i thought it would fit better? or mayb bc the film is in rose's pov so might as well just stick with young k ha ha ha,,, despite this, however, this chapter isn't heavily focused on feelings up til' the last part, bc truthfully i didn't want this fic to take a specific pov. rather, i wanted it to be more like an outsider observing the scene?? so the questioning part during dinner would seem more straightforward (and lowkey cold bc soyeon and younghyun's mom subtle bitchiness would be on .. emphasis? i hope/d/??) so uhhhh yea THIS is why i had a hard time in particular pumping out this chapter bc i wasn't sure how to properly execute this idea. to me, the flow is a big oof !!
> 
> unlike the actual film, i wanted to focus on young k's anxiety bc i'm sure that he would be kinda :// and stressed even after being talked out of not jumping off the ship to his death the night before. also, i'm sure that since he has a liking to jae, it'd be more natural that he would be worried for him during the dinner scene with soyeon and his mother scrutinizing him! 
> 
> regardless,,, idk,,, i'm not satisfied with this chapter but i've been mulling over it for the last 2 days and idk how to fix it so.. there's that? i might revisit it again and flesh it out better when i think of something else, but for then, this is it for now. 
> 
> please let me know what you think! srry this is v lengthy


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i updated the tags! do read this chapter with caution because there are themes of homophobia and that may be an uncomfortable topic for some!!
> 
> ps. this is a v short chapter BUT it's v heavily loaded with tension!

usually, soyeon would start the day chirping away at younghyun; her time wasted either by attempts to woo younghyun or complaining about everything considered a nuisance to her - be it her parents, her friends, or the latest fashions because soyeon loves to talk. thus, it comes as a surprise to younghyun when he wakes up to soyeon ignoring him. truthfully, younghyun would be overjoyed at the prospect of soyeon leaving him alone, and he definitely would right now… if only the tension between them wasn’t as palpable as it was now.

“i had hoped you would come to me last night,” she finally starts, a frown tugging at her lips. younghyun doesn’t have to look up to know that soyeon’s glaring daggers at him, because that’s all she’s done all morning.

soyeon’s words are cold and calculating which sends the hint for younghyun to set his cutlery down. the memory of an animated party crosses his mind, the feeling of happiness brought from it and the way jaehyung had made him feel giving younghyun the courage to look soyeon in the eyes as he explains that he was tired.

“yes. your exertions below decks were no doubt exhausting.” reflexively, younghyun stiffens. _how would she have known that?_ his resolve shakes, but he tells himself to stand firm. “i see you had that undertaker of a manservant follow me.”

“you will never behave like that again! do you understand?”

“i'm not some foreman in your mills that you can command! i am your fiance, and you have no right to make me bend and break to your will-” younghyun argues. he’s sick and tired of this game that’s he been played into all of his life; all he wants to do is to live and make his own choices but it’s the wrong thing to say as it sends soyeon into a frenzy - she explodes, sweeping the breakfast china off the table with a crash. it all happens so fast, too fast, and the memory of jaehyung’s dazzling smile as he led him down to third class is gone just as swiftly as tens and hundreds of pieces of ceramic break into smithereens. soyeon lunges forward, glowering over him as she grips the sides of his chair. “yes! you are! and my husband… in practice, if not yet by law!”

their faces are mere inches away from each other, and it’s frightening, because had younghyun been caught in a similar position with anyone else but soyeon (ideally, he’d pick jaehyung) younghyun would be okay but he’s with soyeon and the expression burning in her eyes is fierce and malicious.

when she sees the fear in younghyun’s eyes, she pulls away with a twisted smile. “the way the both of you go around is sickening. how you throw away your fiancee as soon as you spot him, frolicking off with a worthless man rotting away at the bottom of the social class… it’s sickening how you look so foolishly _intimate_ -” her eyes gleam as a look of shock and realisation crosses her face. “-that’s it, isn’t it? you’re gay.”

soyeon throws her head back, her body wracking with hysteric giggles as she falls to the floor in a crouch. “or, you’re pretending to be. this is all just some game to you, isn’t it younghyun?”

“you think that this is funny? making me angry by acting like you’re gay?” soyeon shrieks, her shrill voice echoing throughout the room. _it’s not a game!_ younghyun wants to yell but his mouth feels like it has been screwed shut. his mind is screaming at him to run, to get out of the room and never turn back as soyeon wobbly rises to her feet and strides over to him. instead, all younghyun manages to do is shrink further into his seat, his mind going blank.

“i’ve given you _everything_ , younghyun! what more could you want from me?” the way soyeon’s eyes gleam is reminiscent of the huge fifty six carat diamond tucked away in soyeon’s safe - the heart of the ocean. to soyeon, the necklace is a manifestation of her attraction to younghyun.

 _it’s for royalty... and we are royalty!_ soyeon had said to younghyun after his... _incident_ with jaehyung. she had clasped the necklace around his neck, infatuated with his beauty. _there's nothing i couldn't give you. there's nothing i'd deny you if you would deny me. open your heart to me, younghyun._

the sting of a sharp pain blooming where a hand collides with the skin of younghyun’s skin jerks him back into reality.

“i will not be made out a fool! is this in any way unclear?” soyeon huffs, satisfied enough to finally turn on her heel when she eyes the frozen trepidation in younghyun’s eyes.

she stalks past younghyun’s maid who stands by the doorway, visibly in distress as she clutches onto a pitcher of orange juice.

  
  
—  
  


“i’m not sure about what happened at breakfast, but i definitely know that you’ve been… caught fooling around with a certain boy.”

it’s late in the morning (just after younghyun had stayed behind to help his maid clear up the broken silverware shattered by soyeon in their private promenade) when younghyun’s mother had decided to pay him a special visit in his room to give him a strict scolding in private.

“you are not to see that boy again, do you understand me younghyun? i forbid it!” she states, feeling gleeful when she misinteprets younghyun’s lack of a response for understanding.

 _it’s all the same_ , he sighs to himself _._ “oh, stop it, mother you'll give yourself a nosebleed.” younghyun’s choice of words push her buttons - she crosses over to the door, locking it with a harsh click.

“kang younghyun!” his mother warns sternly, looming over younghyun as he stands by his bed. “this is not a game! our situation is precarious. you know the money's gone! your father left us nothing but a legacy of bad debts hidden by a good name! and that name is the only card we have to play.”

younghyun’s tired; tired and frustrated to the point where he forgets to catch himself. with a choked cry, he bites out, “of course i know it's gone. you remind me every day!”

“i don't understand you. it is a fine match with jeon, and it will insure our survival-”

tears of exhaustion prick his eyes. “-how can you put this on my shoulders?” younghyun whimpers as he sinks down onto his bed.

“do you want to see me working as a seamstress? is that what you want?” she scoffs, but the sound comes out vulnerable and small. “do you want to see our fine things sold at an auction, our memories scattered to the winds? kang younghyun, how can you be so _selfish_?”

hot tears like small, shiny pearls similar to the ones strung around his mother’s neck cascade down younghyun’s cheeks. “it’s so unfair.”

wordlessly, younghyun’s mother steps away from him as she unlocks the door and leaves him by himself. “i know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wrote this bc my wifi was being rly laggy 
> 
> this chapter was rly fun to write!! writing soyeon is so fun sia HAHHAHA
> 
> do lmk what you think about this chapter in the comments!! thanku all 4 reading hehe
> 
> twitter: tuneslut (hmu i need day6 friends.)


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